Andrew Mitchell, Conservative chief whip, said he quit the job following three weeks of pressure over his verbal attack on police.
The Labour Party has led calls for Mr Mitchell (right) to resign after The Sun newspaper reported that he called police officers outside the prime minister’s Downing Street office in London “plebs” because they refused to let him cycle through the main gate.
“Over the last two days, it has become clear to me that whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter, I will not be able to fulfil my duties,” Mr Mitchell said in a letter to Mr Cameron, released by the prime minister’s office.
Mr Mitchell was only moved to the cabinet-level position from the job of international development secretary at the start of last month when Mr Cameron overhauled his government. Amid a continuing furore, he stayed away from the Conservative Party conference, where five Tory lawmakers called for him to go, saying he now lacked the authority to tell them to behave. – (Bloomberg)